The present invention relates to a device for the removal of solid particles, particularly soot particles, from exhaust gas leaving an internal combustion engine.
Known soot-removing devices of the type under consideration normally include an electrofilter of the type having a plurality of filter tubes arranged in parallel with each other and including a separator tube and a corona discharge electrode positioned in that tube.
One of the conventional devices of the foregoing type has been disclosed in DE-OS No. 31 41 156. This known device is comprised of a number of individual filter tubes through which soot-loaded exhaust gas flows into a collecting tube, then is deflected by 90.degree. and is fed into a centrifugal separator tangentially to the axis of the housing of said separator. Soot deposited on the walls of the centrifugal separator or cyclone flows with the aid of a very small residual flow of exhaust gas to a place of soot collection whereas a soot-free exhaust gas is discharged from the cyclon via an axial immersion tube. The disadvantage of this device resides in a substantial flow resistance to exhaust gas and resulting pressure reduction.